'Memorandum by Sir W. Lee-Warner on the Lease to France of a Coaling Station in Muskat Territory - Statement of our Case (Political No. 1837/99).' [‎91r] (1/4)

Tlus^ document^ u the property of Her Majesty s'Hecretary of State for India.
S. 11 .
Memorandum by Sir W. Lee-Warner on the Lease to
France of a Coaling Station in Muskat Territory-
Statement of our Case (Political No. 1837/99).
On 20th November the “Journal des Debats” stated that a French
man-of-war had established a coaling station at “ Bender Gissah ” In
answer to an inquiry made by Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Paris, Mens
Delcasse stated that this was the first he had heard of it. It appears from
what follows that the concession had been granted as far back as the 7th of
March 1898.
2. On the 13th of December the A iceroy was referred to, and a reference
was made to Muskat. It was not until the 17th of January that the Sultan India letter,
admitted that he had promised the French a coaling station, but he added No 19 >
that “ the locality was not settled.” He further stated that he had only ,
given to the French the same coaling facilities that were enjoyed by the 17
British. It should be explained here that in 1875 the Sultan, Seyyid 285/09.
lurki, allowed the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. to build a go-down on the foreshore in a
cove at Makalla in Muskat. In 1886 the adjoining site, which had been
held free by the British India Steam Navigation Company, was also handed
over to the Agent. There, on a cove open to all, the coal belonging to the
British authorities is stored for use.
3. On 22nd January the British Consul pointed out these circumstances
to the Sultan, and asked for proof that the French Government had received 277/99.
nothing more than the British had. The attention of the Sultan was
called to his engagements, wdiich prevent his alienation of any part of his
territories to a foreign Powder. The Sultan, on 28th January, refused to
produce the text of his concession to the French; and it was not until
threat of force was used that he finally complied with our demands, and
showed our Agent the concession, dated 7th March 1898, giving to the French 253/99
Government “ a place for coal on the coast outside Muskat as a mark of
favour and respect to the great French Government.”
4. On 15th February M. Cambon had an interview with Lord Salisbury, 1762/99.
in which he stated that the French Government had leased a site for a
coaling station, which he maintained w f as not contrary to the Declaration of
1862. Lord Salisbury held that it was not competent for France, as a State,
to accept a lease from Muskat; such a view would not “ apply to a lease
given to a French citizen in his private capacity.”
5. On 18th February the Sultan, being confronted with a threat of
bombardment, acquiesced in our demands. On 22nd February Mons. .
Cambon had a further interview w r ith Lord Salisbury, and complained of the *
“ excessive action which the Admiral had pursued, and of the publicity
“ given to the affair.” Lord Salisbury “ quite admitted that the affair had 0.
“ not been conducted as quietly as he thought it might well have been,
“ and said that he w r as very sorry that it had publicly taken the form of an
“ apparent controversy with France.” He “admitted that in the matter of
sentiment” the French had a grievance, though in the matter of substance
our action was “ entirely right.” He referred to stipulations and engage- A.
ments of a special character between us and the Imaum, which must be taken
into account if our action seemed to he rather summary. He regarded the
Treaty of 1862 as seriously threatened if either Power, acting as a sovereign
State, could take from the Imaum a lease of any portion of his territory.
Mons. Cambon finally proposed that France should formally disclaim any
inference from her possession of a coal depot which could be construed to